Astros lose third straight game; strikeout 13 more times

Recap: The Astros dropped their third consecutive game, falling 8-3 to the Oakland Athletics on Friday at Minute Maid Park. After recording an MLB record 43 strikeouts in their initial three games, the Astros collected 13 more strikeouts against the A’s. The struggling Astros also stretched their scoreless streak to 23 innings. Before Jose Altuve drove in Marwin Gonzalez in the bottom of sixth with an RBI single, the last time the Astros had scored was the bottom of the eighth Sunday during a win against the Rangers.

Big bats: Oakland centerfielder Coco Crisp led off the game with a bullet-like home run to right field off a 1-2 offering by Astros starting righthander Brad Peacock. Crisp then recorded two right-field doubles in a game-changing fifth inning.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve usually has a good eye, but even he even got in on the strikeout action. ( Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle )

Starters: Peacock reached 49 pitches before the third inning and placed two runners on during the initial two frames. He continued to battle, though, finishing with three hits allowed, two earned runs and five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. A’s righthander Dan Straily struck out 11 and allowed two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings.

Key inning: More than 40 minutes ran by and seven runs were recorded during the top of the fifth. Peacock was chased from the game and reliever Xavier Cedeno gave up six runs (three earned) and one hit without recording an out while the A’s punished the Astros.